The present invention generally relates to sieves and chaffers which are part of a combine harvester, and more specifically relates to a single vane slat as used in such a sieve or chaffer.
Sieves and chaffers for harvester combines typically have slats (i.e., louvers) spot-welded to wires. Prior art designs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,253,296 and 4,511,466. Both of these disclosures are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The fact that the slats are spot-welded to the wires presents several disadvantages. For example, in order to achieve a good spot-weld, the spot-welding process needs to be performed as part of a sub-assembly process. In addition, if a single vane slat is used, a heavy slat thickness must be used to insure a good weld joint. In order to use a thinner slat, a current design in the industry provides that a double vane snaps onto a wire and is then spot-welded from both sides, sandwiching the wire between the vanes. This requires the use of an excessive amount of vane material and is time-consuming.